What Color Are Your Doors?
What Color Are Your Doors?
How do people perceive your entry points?
Honestly, how do you think people see your accessibility? Can they enter at all? Is there a sign out front of your face, business, or brand that says: CLOSED!
We have to start at the top because critical ownership has to be taken. Personal, Corporate, and even in the Brand someone has to own it! So, let me point out a few things that top leadership must look at.
Number 1) “What color are your doors?”
“To enter or not to enter?” that is the question every client/buyer/student/investor/parishioner/family member/friend/social contact are asking themselves. Is this place painted fun or drab? Is it an institution or a home? Am I about to experience something Joyful or Intimidating? What is the color of the atmosphere, bright and open, or secretive and dark? Leadership sets the color scheme, and everything else has to function within that environment. McDonald’s and Subway spend a lot of money establishing the color, texture, style, and font in the signage; they must match the design scheme. Even the landscaping on the outside of the building must match the overall color… branding. The face the public will first encounter, the door they will enter into, must carry the specific branding message you want to convey.
The atmosphere of leadership sets the tone in the workplace, in the community, in the family and in every leader personally! There must be a leader that will set the color of the doorway! This establishes and affirms the mood and character of the staff, workmen, employees, volunteers, and family members. Finally, the color of the brand is the basic building block of the direction and destiny of the business, organization, family unit, church or group. I hope by now you are understanding that leadership in every facet of life sets the color of the doors! The identity of the business, organization, or family is established by leadership.
Number 2) Where do your doors lead?
The brand and leadership are vital, but there has to be some substance and integrity behind the colorful doors and clever enticements!
Is there real value behind the doors? When they pull the curtain and show, what is behind door #3? Will it be a worthless deception or a valuable prize? Does the value match or exceed the perceived expectations?
Over deliver and under promise or over promise and under deliver! You have to watch this constantly! Things shift and change continually and can not be ignored. It is vital to every level of relationship. Trust is earned slowly and lost quickly. Set a guard and a guide at this door!
The guard at the door is set there to watch for outside influences that want to come in and change the dynamics and alter the course. Guard against vision-destructive outsiders who have an agenda of their own. The guide at the door is there to help people capture the vision and find a place at the table, a friend they can trust.
Number 3) What opportunities will your doors open?
It is great to discover good products and dependable friendly people, but is there more? Are there other opportunities available to people, if they are looking for more? Job opportunities? Affiliate programs? Professional relationships? Will they find more beyond that door? Leaders develop “More;” it never happens by accident. Someone always chooses the color and decides what the atmosphere will be. The color of your doors should complement what is found inside and more!
The Bible story of Joseph tells of a coat of many colors given in love by his father. Joseph was despised by his brothers, and his coat was used to identify the tragedy. But it was not the coat that mattered, it was the person to whom the coat belonged that was important. Leaders are like Joseph: their character and endurance produce the true color of their integrity. What color are your doors?
by Fred Hughes
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